JPH0728199A - Film unit with lens and method for recycling film unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To permit repetitive use of a film unit fitted with a lens within the limit of recycling. CONSTITUTION:Detent projecting pieces 40, 40... for counting in the number corresponding to the limit number of recycling uses are furnished on a pressure plate 36 which presses q film cartridge 30 to the body 10 of a film unit fitted with a lens. The detent projecting pieces 40, 40... are separated one, by one each time the film unit is used in repetition. When all projecting pieces 40 are separated, the pressure plate 36 is no more serviceable, and at the same time, the film unit goes to its limit of recycling.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of recycling a photographic film packaging unit (hereinafter referred to as "lens film unit") having a photographing exposure function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In conventional photography, a camera is usually loaded with a film. However, only a few people carry the camera all the time, and the inconvenience was that the camera was not at hand when I wanted to take a picture. In that case, you can purchase a film unit with a lens from the nearest store at a low price like you would buy a regular photo film, and if you can request a DPE for each lens film unit after shooting, just like the conventional photo film. It is very convenient. U.S. Pat. No. 2,933,027 discloses the technology as what is considered to be similar to the lens-fitted film unit having such a concept.

However, such a lens-fitted photo film unit has a very simple structure to realize a low price, and each lens-fitted photo film unit has a DP.
When it was handed over to E, after the film was taken out, it was discarded because the unit itself had no value. However, even if the lens-fitted film unit has a low price and low durability, it may be considered wasteful from the viewpoint of resource saving to dispose of the usable film unit only once. Therefore, it is conceivable that the film developing station and the manufacturer of the unit may reuse the unit case body or parts after requesting the DPE for the used film unit with the used lens, while developing from the viewpoint of user service as well. It is conceivable to return the unit body together with the finished film, and it is also possible to load a new film and return it to the same user.

However, such a lens-fitted photo film unit has durability only enough to take a small number of photo films, and unlimited reuse is not preferable in order to guarantee photo quality. Therefore, in such a lens-fitted film unit, it is extremely convenient if the number of times of loading the film can be clearly indicated in order to call attention to the user and the laboratory side.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a lens-fitted film unit and a method for recycling a lens-fitted film unit in which a lens-fitted film unit is repeatedly used within a recycling use limit. The purpose is to provide a recycling method.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention has an exposure function of exposing the unexposed film in advance, and after the completion of photographing, the packaging form before photographing is performed without taking out the film. In a lens-equipped film unit in which development is requested in the same form, an exposed film is taken out and a new unexposed film is loaded, the number of times the new unexposed film is loaded is counted and reused in advance. It is characterized in that a counter for limiting the number of times is provided in a part of the lens-fitted film unit to prevent the parts of the lens-fitted film unit from being used beyond the limit of reuse.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a method of recycling a film with a lens, in which the recycling limit is visually displayed on the parts of the film with a lens, and only one direction of counting up or counting down is allowed. A counter, a step of loading the first film, a step of taking out the first film, a step of confirming whether the counter can further count up or down, and if the counter can count up or down, the counter Counting up or counting down one by one, loading the next film, removing the film, checking the counter, counting up or counting down the counter, repeating the above steps to newly count up If the countdown is not possible is characterized in that it comprises the step of discarding the part of the lens-fitted photo film.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the lens-fitted film unit and the recycling method according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. A description will be given of the lens-fitted film unit body 10 according to FIG.
Reference numeral 16 is a finder light-shielding cylinder, 18 is a shutter release button, and 20 is a film winding knob. Shooting lens 14
A light-shielding tube 22 is formed around the core so as to spread in a stepwise manner on the same axis. The light-shielding tube 22 having the stepwise steps prevents unnecessary irregular reflection during photographing. . Similarly, steps are formed on the viewfinder light-shielding cylinder 16 so as to expand in a stepwise manner, so that diffused reflection of light is prevented and the subject can be easily observed. The shutter release button 18 is located in the recess 24 of the lens-fitted film unit body 10, and the shutter release button 1
The surface of 8 is flush with the surface of the lens-fitted film unit body 10, or its height is set low so as to be located inside the surface of the lens-fitted film unit body 10. Similarly, the film winding knob 20 has a recess 26 formed at the lower edge of the front surface of the lens-fitted film unit.
Like the shutter release button 18, the surface of the winding knob 20 is located inside the lens-fitted film unit body 10.
Is configured so as not to project from the surface of the.

This unit is covered with a packaging cosmetic box having holes formed in the portions corresponding to the lens 14, the finder 16, the release button 18, the winding knob 20, and the like.
The photographer operates the photographing through the opening of the cosmetic case. FIG. 2 shows the back surface of the lens-fitted film unit body 10 loaded with the 110-type film, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the lens-fitted film unit shown in FIG. 2 with the film removed. . As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rear surface of the lens-fitted film unit body 10 is configured as an open surface 28, and a film storage chamber into which a 110-inch film cartridge 30 is inserted is formed in the open surface 28. A rectangular photographing opening 32 is formed around the photographing lens 14, and when the film cartridge 30 is loaded in the lens-fitted film unit body 10, the photographing opening 32 is formed.
The exposed surface of the film cartridge 30 is located at the position. As is well known, the 110 film cartridge 30 has a flat connecting portion provided with an exposure frame between the film supply chamber and the film winding chamber, and the film is stored inside the cartridge in a form wrapped with protective paper. ing. Frame numbers are recorded on the back side of the protective paper at one screen interval of the film, and the numbers are displayed through the window on the back side. Further film cartridge 3
As is well known, a winding gear (not shown) is formed at 0 in the winding chamber. When the film cartridge 30 is loaded into the lens-fitted film unit body 10, this gear is located below the lens-fitted film unit body 10. Gear 34
It is supposed to mesh with. The gear 34 is formed integrally with the film winding knob 20. Therefore, the film cartridge 3 is rotated by rotating the winding knob 20.
The film within 0 can be rolled up after each shooting.

The back surface of the film-fitted film unit main body 10 is constructed as the open surface 28 as described above, but the film cartridge 30 is loaded and the pressure plate 36 is provided from the back surface of the film cartridge 30 to expose the exposed surface of the film cartridge 30. It is pressed against the peripheral edge 38 of the opening 32 with an appropriate pressing force, so that the film exposure surface is completely shielded regardless of the open surface 28.

Five protrusions 40, 40, 40, 40, 40 are formed at a predetermined interval on the upper end of the pressure plate 36.
A projecting piece 42 is formed at the center of the upper end of 6. The protrusions 40, 40, 40, 40, 40 on the upper end are rectangular gaps 46, 46, 4 on the back surface of the lens-fitted film unit body 10.
6, 46, 46, and the protrusion 42 at the lower end is the recess 4 at the lower end of the rear surface of the lens-fitted film unit body 10.
It is fitted in 8. The pressure plate 36 is made of a thin sheet metal having some elasticity, and the screw 50 is inserted into the screw hole of the projecting piece 42, and the screw 50 is screwed into the screw hole 52 in the recess 48. The exposed surface of the film cartridge 30 which is pushed in is pressed against the peripheral edge 38 of the photographing opening 32 with an appropriate pressing force, and the light is completely shielded. Also, the protrusions 40, 40, 40, 4 at the upper end
Nos. 0 and 40 are preliminarily formed with cuts and are configured to be bendable and separable.

According to the lens-fitted film unit and the recycling method of the present invention configured as described above,
When a film is loaded into the lens-fitted film unit from the user side and sent to the lab side, the projecting piece 40 of the pressure plate is bent and separated every time a new film cartridge 30 is loaded on the lab side. In this case, the pressure plate 36 is separated from both sides in order to generate a uniform pressing force.
Accordingly, if the laboratory unit or the user can use the disposable lens-equipped film unit 5 times, for example, it is possible to know the effective use number of the disposable-lens film unit by the remaining number of the protrusions 40 at the upper end. . According to the above-mentioned embodiment, since the projecting piece 40 is configured as the locking piece of the pressure plate 36, after the film cartridge 30 has been used 5 times, the light shielding function of the pressure plate 36 is lost and the pressure plate 36 becomes unusable. This allows the user to immediately know that the disposable lens-equipped film unit cannot be used.

FIG. 4 shows the structure of another embodiment according to the present invention. In FIG. 4, a counting mechanism for the film cartridge 30 is provided in the lens-fitted film unit body 10. That is, the claw 60 is pivotally supported by the shaft 62 and is urged clockwise by the spring 64 about the shaft 62. One end 66 of the claw 60 projects from the opening 68 and is located in the insertion area of the film cartridge 30. Another claw 60
The other end of the ratchet wheel 70 is engaged with the ratchet wheel 70, and each time the pawl 60 is rotated counterclockwise against the biasing force of the spring 64, the ratchet wheel 20 is rotated clockwise. A scale plate 72 is provided on the ratchet wheel 70, and the scale plate 72 can be confirmed from the outside of the lens-fitted film unit as shown in FIG. 1, for example.

In the embodiment configured as described above, when the film cartridge 30 is inserted into the lens-fitted film unit body 10, the film cartridge 30
The ratchet 60 is rotated counterclockwise against the urging force of the spring 64 by the insertion force of, and thereby the ratchet wheel 70 is rotated clockwise. When the ratchet wheel 70 is rotated by the ratchet 60, the scale plate 72 shown in FIG. 5 is fed by one scale, whereby the number of times the film cartridge 30 is loaded is displayed by the scale plate 72. Therefore, the user or the laboratory side can know the number of times the film cartridge 30 is loaded from the scale plate 72, and thus the number of times of using the disposable lens-equipped film unit.

[0015]

As described above, according to the lens-fitted film unit of the present invention, a counter for counting the number of times a new unexposed film is loaded and limiting the reuse count in advance is provided with the lens-fitted film. Since it is provided in a part of the unit, it is possible to prevent the parts of the lens-fitted film unit from being used beyond the limit of reuse.

According to the method for recycling a lens-fitted film unit according to the present invention, the steps of providing a counter, loading a film, checking the counter, counting up or down the counter, and repeating the above steps are repeated. If a new count-up or count-down is not possible, the process of discarding the lens-equipped film parts is performed, so that the lens-equipped film unit can be recycled in the disposable lens-equipped film unit.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a film unit main body with a lens and a cover.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lens-fitted film unit body as viewed from the back side.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which a film cartridge is removed from a lens-fitted film unit body.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing another embodiment according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Film unit main body with lens 14 ... Shooting lens 18 ... Shutter release button 20 ... Winding knob 30 ... Film cartridge 36 ... Pressure plate 40 ... Projection piece 60 ... Ratchet 70 ... Ratchet wheel 72 ... Scale plate

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An exposure function for exposing an unexposed film in advance, after completion of photographing, a development request is made without removing the film in the same form as the packaging form before photographing, and the exposed film is taken out and newly replaced. In a film unit with a lens adapted to be loaded with an unexposed film, the number of times a new unexposed film is loaded is counted,
A lens-fitted film unit that is provided with a counter for limiting the number of reuses in advance in a part of the lens-fitted film unit to prevent the parts of the lens-fitted film unit from being used beyond the limit of reuse. 2. A method of recycling a film with a lens, wherein a recycling use limit is visually displayed on parts of the film with a lens, and a counter is provided to allow counting up or counting down in only one direction. A step of loading, a step of taking out the first film, a step of confirming whether the counter can further count up or a countdown, a step of counting up or a countdown one by one when count up or a countdown is possible, When the next film is loaded, the film is taken out, the counter is checked, the counter is incremented or decremented, and the above steps are repeated to make a new increment or decrement impossible. The method for recycling a lens-fitted photo film unit comprising a step of discarding part of the lens-fitted photo film.